********* store positioning of Halal products, disregard to Muslim customers.

Food *****s Market is a popular retailer, selling a variety of goods such as groceries, bakery, perishables and butchery. In addition to this, they also sell various prepacks of cold meats, bacon, etc. As customers, we enjoy the vibe instore, the products and people. Unfortunately, as in many cases, there are also ********* performances by the retailer within their store/s. I have noticed that they recently acquired the selling of halal products, sold by a company called Mubarak Food Emporium. I have also noticed that their halal products are kept in a fridge, only separated from normal ham and non halal products by a 0.3mm Perspex sheet. In addition to this, the fridge is surrounded by stacks of alcohol, which too is contrary to Islamic practices.

I then took it up to pen to FLM about this matter. I outlined to them that it seem very ********* to operate this way, not considering their Muslim customers. I am almost sure that Muslims has already complained, but clearly they have ignored sll please. I received a response from them via email, depicting that they are not a halal serving retailer, and don't need to display these products specifically away from regular pork, as they did not carry a halal certificate. They were guided by a Muslim company to place their products in a pork bearing fridge, with alcohol abound. I contacted the MJC, and to date, no response.

My complaint is that if FLM claim that they do not need to comply with standards of the MJC or have no halal certificates instore, then they should stop selling the products. They should refrain from being involved with industries that they cannot comply with.

In conclusion, correspondences were exchanged between us. Please see below. I was simply told to make contact with the supplier Ito my complaint. They took no responsibility, and no accountability. All I asked was that they change these halal products to the chicken fridges. Away from the pork.

Thank you.

Theses are the correspondences:

Good morning, As a customer of Food *****s Market for a very long time, I think since it's inception, I would like to lodge a complaint as to the positioning of your halal meat products in your Tokai store.

I am not sure if this is your general layout, or positioning in all your stores, but noticeably there is something very wrong with the product placing on this store.

The product is divided by a thing Perspex sheet from ham and pork products, in the same refrigerator, and to add insult to injury, it is still nestled in the wine section. This is a total ************** against people who are Muslim, bearing in mind that this is the very food you offer to sell to them.

Of all the places that the products could be displayed, you place it next to pork, and in the wine section we deem as anti Islamic, and against the religion.

It is disgusting to think that somebody in your officers who probably don't understand the difference between halal and non halal to create such a store layout. This is insensitive, and you should change this on behalf of your Muslim customers.

You could easily create a space away from wine and pork, and I'm sure that you would sell much more out of this section than what you are selling at this point.

I hope that this request is considered, considering if not, I will notify the MJC as to how your halal products are displayed instore.

Thank you kindly.

Peter Ova

Their response: Dear Peter

Thank you for making contact with us and for letting us know about your concerns regarding the placement of the halaal meat products in our store

While we have taken note of your concern, we do wish to emphasise that our Tokai store has not been certified by any halaal certification body as a halaal store. We stock a small range of halaal meat products that is supp**** to us by an halaal certified supplier, which supplier approved the placement of its products in our store where they currently are. Given that our store is not an halaal certified store, we have been guided by our supplier with regard to the placement of the products that it supplies to us. Should you feel that the current placement of these products is problematic, we encourage you to make contact with our supplier to raise your concerns.

Please find below the contact details of our supplier:

Mubarak Food Emporium

Tel: ***

Kind regards,

Customer Care